Starter.



.I. A. WILLIAMS.

STARTER.

APPLICATION FlLED SEPT. 10. 1913.

1,Q82,512, Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

Q 2 $HEETSSHEET l. 2 Z

J. A. WILLIAMS.

STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, m3.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

JOSEPH A. WILLIAMS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE K. W. IGNITION COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

STARTER.

Application filed September 10, 1913.

1/ 0 (ZZZ "(UkOHZ it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPI-r A. lVILLIAMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Starters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to starters for inter nal combustion engines, especially engines used in connection with motor vehicles.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a starter of the spring or spring motor type, which has high ethciency, and operates in a satisfactory manner, which is durable, compact and inexpensive to manu-' facture, or to install on a car, and the parts of which are accessible.

The-above and other objects are accomplished by my invention which may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein l have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the starter constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view substantially along the line 38 of Fig. 1. Fig, 4 is a transverse sectional view through a part of the starter substantially along the line 4i of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of certain parts.

referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that the starter includes a main casing 10. which is substantially ovoid in shape, and is formed from two metal stampings 10 and 10". which are fastened togetherin the manner shown in Fig. 1, and form a casing having parallel. front and rear walls, and designed to be secured to the front part of a motor vehicle in any desired manner. EX- tending through-the casing is a starter shaft 11 which is designed to be coupled in any suitable .mannerto the front. end of the crank shaft of the engine to be started, and which will be in alinement with said crank shaft when the casing 10, and in fact the starter as a whole is properly supported on the motor vehicle chassis.

Vithin this casing 10 is a spring arbor 12, formed from two sheet metal stampings Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

Serial No. 789,041.

12 and 12*, whose outer edges are secured together, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and both of which extend laterally in concentric relationship forming a cylindrical hub or drum for the spring, and which thence extend in parallel vertical planes toward the shaft, and which finally are provided centrally with respect to the shaft 11 with hub-like portions or bearing flanges 12 and 12 which project in opposite directions. Into these bearing flanges are tightly driven bearing sleeves 13 constituting bearings for the starter shaft 11. The casing has secured to its opposite side walls bearing members 1 1 and 15, in which the central bearing portions 12 and 12 of the spring arbor are journaled. It will be understood that this shaft 11 may turn freely in the bearing sleeves driven into the central bearing flanges or hubs of the arbor and that the arbor has a bearing in and may turn between the shaft and the bearing members 14: and 15, carried by the casing 10.

Surrounding the drum or outer cylindrical part of the arbor is a spiral spring 16, the inner end of which is secured to the drum of the arbor in the manner shown in Fig. 2, and the outer end of whichis secured to the wall of the casing 10, in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This spiral spring will have sufficient strength that when wound, it will be capable of turning the crank shaft of'the engine through a sufiicient number of revolutions to Start the engine, under ordinary conditions.

It will be observed that when the spring unwinds to turn over or start the engine, the tension or previously stored energy of the spring is transmitted to the shaft 11, through a radius equal to the radius of the arbor drum which it may be here stated is preferably as great, or slightly greater than the crank radius of the engine, in connection with which this starter is utilized.

For the transmission of power between the spring 16 and shaft 11, I utilize a ratchet mechanism including a ratchet wheel 17, which is keyed to the shaft 11 between the two stampings of which the arbor is composed. Cooperating with the ratchet wheel are two pawls 18 which are supported beyond the periphery of the ratchet wheel, and between the stampings of the arbor on pins 19 which, as will be observed from Fig. 2, are located 180 degrees apart, and extend transversely through the vertical portions or parallel side walls of the arbor stampings, just within the cylindrical portions of the latter which form the drum about which the spiral spring 16 extends.

\Vhil'e the engine is running, the noses of the-pawls are held out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and, as soon as the spring begins to unwind, the pawls are thrown into driving engagement therewith. To throw the pawls into and out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet, I utilize a so-called friction ring 20,-which, as will'be observed from Fig. 1, is mounted between a vertical portion of the bearing member 15 and the portion of the wall of one of the stampings 12 parallel thereto. Between the inner periphery of the ring 20 and the flange-like portion of the bearing member 15, which the said ring. surrounds, isa corrugated spring 21, which offers some resistance to the turning of the ring, Cooperating with this ring 20 are two pins 22 which are carried by the pawls, as will be seenfrom Figs. 1 and 2, and which extendlaterally from the pawls through elongated slots in the adjacent stamping 12 of the arbor, and engage in two diametrically opposite notches 20 in the periphery of the ring20. This arrangement is best seen from Figs. at and 1. It will be seen by reference to Figs. 2 and4 that when the arbor and hence the pawls are turned by the spring in the direction indicated by the solid arrow, the friction ring 20, which is retarded somewhat by the spring 21, when the arbor begins to rotate, swings the pawls downward so as to immediately effect driving relationship between the pawls and the ratchet wheel, and that when the arbor is rotated in the reverse direction or in the direction indicated by the dotted arrow (as it is rotated when the spring is being wound by the winding mechanism hereinafter described), not only do the ratchet teeth tend to throw the pawls outwardly, but the ring by its retarding action, immediately throws the pawls clear of the ratchet teeth.

Before describing the mechanism for releasing the spring to permit the latter to rotate the shaft 11, and hence to start the engine, let it be assumed that the spring'is unwound or practically so, and the engine is in rotation, driving the shaft 11, for it is believed after the winding mechanism is eX- plained, the construction and operation of the other parts will be more obvious.

In the construction which I have provided, as soon as the engine is started, and the arbor has been rotated by the spring througha predetermined number of revolutions, a timing device which times the operation of the winding mechanism, causes-certain parts to be brought into driving engagement with a part which'is driven by the shaft 11, and in tion with the winding mechanism, I utilize a traveling nut 28," which travelsback and forth along a threaded portion of the bearing flange 12 of one. of the arbor stampings. This traveling nut 23 is mounted or contained inau inwardly recessed or cup-shaped cylindrical portion of the bearing member 15, which as before stated, is secured to the casing member 10 and is, of course, stationary, and this nut is held from turning in the bearing member 15 by means of a feather'24r along which the nut is free to move during both the winding and unwinding operations.

IV hen thospring is unwinding in starting the engine, this nut 28 travels toward the right, as the mechanism is viewed in Fig. 1, and during the windingoperation, this nut travels toward the left. After a predetermined movement of the nut toward the right, the nut engages and moves in the same di rection, or toward the right, (as the same isviewed in Fig. 1), a pair of pins 25, so that driving engagement can be made between these pins and certain driving parts which are actuated or driven by the shaft- 11. After the engine is started, and after the nut has traveled a predetermined distance in the reverse direction, or to the left, during the winding operation, the nut will engage and move the said pins to the left, so as to break the driving engagement between the pins 25 and the enginedriven part. The pins 25 extend transversely through and are endwise-movable in an eccentric 26, which is loosely or rotatively mounted upon the extreme end of one of the bearing sleeves 13, which, as before stated, are tightly driven into'the hubs or bearing flanges of the-arbor stampings. The timing action between the traveling nut 23 and the pins 25 is accomplished by reason of the fact that the inner end'portions of the pins are notched forming two spaced shoulders between which is located a radial flange on the end of the nut, and between which flange and the said shoulders of the pins there is a certain amount of play or lost motion.

The pins 25 and the eccentric .26 are adapted to be rotated to wind the spring by a driven part, consisting of a collar 27, mounted on the forward end of shaft 11, and secured thereto by a pin 28 WhlCll'QX'EGIlClS through the shaft and through the collar. This collar 27 which is capable of slight endwise movement on the shaft is provided on opposite sides with short spiral slots in which the ends of the pin 28 extend, and said collar is normally pressed away from the eccentric 26, and away from the pins 25 by a coil spring 29 surrounding the shaft and located between the collar and the adj acent end of one of the bearing sleeves.

The collar is provided on its end adjacent the pins 25 with a radial flange 27 having on its face a pair of driving lugs 27 which are located the same distance from the axis of the shaft 11, as are the pins 25. The arrangement is such that when the pins 25 are moved toward the lugs 2T a sufficient distance, the rotating lugs 27* engage or touch the ends of the pins 25, the said pins 25 tending to retard the movement of the collar 27. Thereupon by reason of the fact that the ends of the pin 28 connecting the collar 27 to the shaft are located in spiral slots of the sleeve 2'7, the latter is, by such retarding action of the pins 25, given a quick endwise movement toward the pins and against the action of the spring 29. lVhen this occurs, the lugs 27 and pins 25 overlap each other by such amount that good driving engagement is had between the 'liigs 27 and the pins 25, and the pins 25 and eccentric 26 will be rotated by the lugs 27" until there has been a predetermined movement of the nut 23 in the reverse direction, or until the spring 16 has been wound a predetermined amount, whereupon the pins are moved out of engagement with the lugs 27", and when this occurs, the spring 29 throws the sleeve 27 back to the right, or to its normal position.

The winding mechanism includes in addi tion to the parts just described a shaft 30 which is parallel to and above the shaft 11, and is rotatably mounted in an outwardly projecting bearing member 31 secured to the forward face or wall of the casing 10, and in a bearing member 32 secured to a subcasing 01' cover 33, which incloses the ma-.

jor portion of the winding mechanism. On the inner end of the shaft 30, which inner end is on the interior of the casing 10, adjacent the front face of the casing member 10, is a pinion 34 which engages a gear 35 in the form of a ring which is secured to the periphery or outer portion of the arbor 12 alongside of spring 16, as is best seen from Fig. 1. It is through this shaft 30 and gears 34 and 35 that the spring is rewound. The shaft 30 may be turned by a crank to rewind the spring by hand, in the event that the engine was not started by the spring during'its unwinding operation, or the shaft 30 may be turned automatically by the winding mechanism in the manner next to be described. It may be stated, however, in passing, that the forward ends of both the shaft 30 and the shaft 11 project through or beyond the cover as shown in Fig. 1, and that both of these shafts may be turned by the same crank, in the event that it is desirable either to crank the engine by hand or to rewind the spring by hand, and when the spring is wound by hand through the medium of the crank which can be used to crank the engine, the shaft 30 is turned in the same direction as is the shaft 11 in the cranking operation, and the entire mechanism is such that this is accomplished without the necessity for any additional or auxiliary parts, such as have been required in prior spring starters. This is an advantage of considerable practical importance.

Power is transmitted between the shafts 11 and 30 by transmitting mechanism which includes a ring 37. on the eccentric 26, and an'eccentric arm 38 which at its lower end is integral with or fixed to the ring, and at its upper end has a pivotal connection with a cup-like housing member 39, which is loosely mounted on the bearing member 31, and incloses and supports a ratchet wheel 40, which, at each oscillation of the arm 38 and housing member 39 is stepped up or turned through a predetermined are by a pawl 41 carried by the housing member and normally pressed or held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet by a leaf spring 42 (see Fig. Upon the return of the pawl 41 the ratchet Wheel 40 is prevented from turning in the reverse direction to that in which it is turned by the pawl 41 by a holding pawl 43 which is pressed yieldingly toward the ratchet 40 by the spring 42 which engages the pawl 41. The ratchet wheel 40 is prevented from moving in an endwise direction with reference to the housing member 39 by any suitable means, such as a pin 40 which, in this case, extends through an opening in the hub or inner bearing portion of the housing member 39 into a continuous groove in the inner periphery of the ratchet wheel. It may be here stated that the endwise movement of the eccentric 26 can be prevented by a similar device, as shown in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of forming a driving connection between the ratchet 40 and the shaft 30 during the winding operation, or to release the wound spring so that the latter may rotate the shaft 11 and start the engine, I provide on the shaft 30 alongside the ratchet 40 a collar 44, which is connected to the shaft 30 by a feather so that it may be moved endwise thereon, but will rotate therewith, and which is adapted to be connected to the ratchet 40 by a tongue and groove connection, said collar having on its face adjacent the ratchet a groove or slot which is adapted to receive a projecting tongue on the corresponding face of the ratchet. It will be observed that when the collar is in looking engagement with the ratchet 4L0 the oscillating movement of the eccentric arm and pawl. 41 will cause the spring to be wound, but when the collar is moved out of engagement with the ratchet etO power is not transmitted between the eccentric and the shaft 30, and at the same time the spring is free to unwind.

In order that the spring may be released to start the engine, means are provided for shifting the collar 44 out of engagement with the ratchet 40. This includes a rod 4C5 which is located above the shaft 30 and extends through both walls of the casing 10 to the forward end or face of the cover 33, where the shaft has a bearing in member 32 previously referred to. This shaft has secured to its forward end portion a shifter yoke 4:6 which engages in a groove of the collar 4e, so that when the rod is moved forwardly by the operator the collar 44 is moved out of engagement with the ratchet 40. This rod -15 may be connected to any suitable operating mechanism; such as a pedal or equivalent. device, which is located within convenient reach of the operator when occupying the front seat of the vehicle. The rod l5 and collar ea -in fact, all the parts which are shifted by the operator when he wishes the engine to be started, may be returned to the normal position as soon as the operator removes his foot from the pedal or otherwise releases said parts, by means of a coil spring 47 which surrounds the rod and bears at one end against the front wall of the casing and at its other end bears against a suitable shoulder on the rod.

It will be seen that when the collar is moved out of engagement with the ratchet 4.0, the spring is free to turn the arbor and the shaft 11, and that when the spring is thus unwinding the gears 3d and 35 run freely driving only the shaft 30 of the winding mechanism, the eccentric and all other parts of the winding mechanism being then held stationary.

The releasing mechanism including the collar 44 which, as before stated, is adapted to be connected to the ratchet e0 by a tongue and groove connection, has the very important advantage that it will not re'ngage or form a driving connection with the ratchet 40 at a time when the collar is rotating at very high speed. A ratchet mechanism which has been utilized heretofore for forming driving connection between somewhat similarly arranged parts has the disadvantage that it is often the case that the rotation of the rotating part is arrested so suddenly and while said rotating part is rotating at such speed, that the parts are broken or otherwise injured. On the other hand, with my construction, if the operator releases his foot from the foot pedal while the spring is unwinding, and hence while the collar l4: is rotating at high or fairly high speed, the inward movement of the collar toward the ratchet will not result in immediate engagement between the collar and ratchet wheel lO, for the reason that the groove and tongue are almost of the same width and one of the faces of the groove in the collar is slightly beveled, as will be seen from Fig. 5, and hence the collar will be thrown outward away from the ratchetby said beveled portion, unless the rotating speed of the collar is very low, in fact sufficiently low as to permit the groove and tongue to become deeply engaged. This can only take place when the collar is rotating at a very low speed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a. starter for the internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, a casing, a main shaft extending into the same, and adapted to be connected to the engine shaft, a spring arbor within the casing, a spring extending about a portion of the arbor and having one end attached thereto and the other end stationary, means by which driving connection may be made between said arbor and the shaft, a winding shaft, mechanism for turning said shaft to wind the spring comprising a driving part carried by the main shaft, an eccentric adjacent said driving part, means by which driving connection is made between said driving part and the eccentric when the spring has been unwound a predetermined amount, means for transmitting power from said eccentric to said winding shaft, and means for causing the winding shaft to turn the arbor to Wind the spring.

2; A starter for the engine of a motor vehicle, comprising a casing, a main shaft extending into the same, an arbor mounted on said shaft within the casing, a spiral spring surrounding a portion of the arbor and hav- .ing its inner end attached thereto and its outer end held stationary, means by which driving connection may be made between said arbor and said main shaft, means for winding the spring comprising a winding shaft supported by the casing, power transmitting means between saidwinding shaft and the arbor, power transmitting means between said main shaft and the winding shaft comprising an eccentric, a driving part actuated by the main shaft and adapted to rotate said eccentric, ratchet mechanism between said eccentric and the winding shaft, and an automatic timing mechanism for making 'and breaking driving connection between said driving part and eccentric.

3. In a starter for the engine of a motor vehicle, a casing, a shaft extending therein, an arbor in the casing comprising a cylindrical part and two substantially parallel side walls having bearing flanges surrounding the shaft, a spring surrounding said cylindrical portion and having its inner end secured thereto and its outer end held stationary, and a ratchet mechanism between the arbor and the shaft and comprising a ratchet wheel secured to the shaft, and one or more pawls carried by the arbor and located between the parallel side walls thereof.

4. In a starter for the engine of a motor vehicle, a casing, a shaft extending therein, an arbor in the casing comprising two members secured together and having substantially parallel side walls with central bearing flanges surrounding the shaft, a spring surrounding a portion of the arbor and having its inner end secured thereto and its outer end held stationary, means for forming a driving connection between the arbor and the shaft comprising a ratchet mechanism including a ratchet wheel and one or more pawls located between said side walls of the arbor, the ratchet wheel being secured to the shaft, and the pawl 0r pawls being carried by the arbor.

5. A starter for the engine of a motor vehicle comprising a casing, a shaft extending into the same, an arbor in the casing comprising two members secured together at their periphery and having inwardly extending substantially parallel portions and central bearing flanges extending in opposite directions and surrounding the shaft, ratchet mechanism located between said members of the arbor and comprising a ratchet wheel secured to the shaft, and one or more pawls carried by said members, and means comprising a friction ring engaging a stationary part and movable with the arbor for causing the pawls to be thrown into or out of engagement with the ratchet wheel.

6. A starter for the engine of a motor vehicle comprising a casing, a shaft extending into the casing, an arbor located in the casing provided with a central bearing flange which surrounds the said shaft, a spiral spring having one end attached to the arbor and the other held stationary, means for forming a driving connection between the arbor and the shaft comprising a ratchet mechanism including a ratchet wheel which is secured to the shaft and one or more pawls which are carried by the arbor, winding mechanism for turning the arbor in the reverse direction to wind the spring, said winding mechanism including a winding shaft geared to the arbor, means between the main shaft and the winding shaft for rotating the latter, and means for timing the rotation of said winding shaft comprising a traveling nut and a threaded part rotatable with the arbor and engaged by said nut.

7. A starter for the engine of a motor vehicle comprising a casing, a shaft extending into the same, an arbor in the casing comprising two members secured together at their periphery and having inwardly extending substantially parallel portions and central bearing flanges, a spring having one-end attached to the arbor, ratchet mechanism lo catcd between said members of the arbor and comprising a ratchet wheel secured to the shaft, and one or more pawls carried by said members, means for winding the spring comprising a driving part on the shaft, a driven part having an operative connection with the arbor, and means for causing operative engagement between said driving and driven parts comprising a traveling nut engaging a threaded portion of one of said bearing flanges of the arbor.

8. A starter for an internal combustion engine comprising a shaft, a spring for turning the shaft, an arbor for the spring, means for causing driving engagement to be made between the arbor and shaft, means for holding the arbor against rotary movement and for releasing the same, said means comprising two cooperating members, one having a connection with the arbor, said members having interlocking parts including a socket on one member and a projection on the other adapted to be received into the socket, a portion of one of said interlocking parts being beveled so as to prevent interlocking engagement of said parts when the part connected to the arbor is rotating at high speed.

9. A starter for an internal combustion engine comprisin a main shaft, a spring for turning the same, an arbor to which the spring is connected, means for forming a driving connection between the arbor and the main shaft, a winding shaft connected to the arbor, and means for holding said winding shaft and arbor against rotary movement, and for permitting said parts to rotate, comprising two relatively movable members on the said winding shaft, one of said members having a driving connection with the other member, and said members having interlocking parts including a socket in one member and a projection on the other member adapted to be moved into and out of the socket, one of said parts having a beveled wall.

10. A starter for an internal combustion engine comprising a main shaft, a spring adapted to rotate the same, an arbor forthe spring connected to the latter, means for forming a driving connection between the arbor and the shaft, a winding shaft, gearing connecting the same to the arbor, means on said winding shaft adapted to be turned by the main shaft to wind the spring, and a second member on the winding shaft having a driving connection therewith and endwise movable thereon, said two members having interlocking parts which are moved into and out of engagement by the endwise movement of said second member.

11. A starter for an internal combustion engine comprising a casing, amain shaft extending into the same, a spring for turning the shaft, an arbor located in the casing and connected to the spring, means for forming 5 a driving connection between the arbor and the main shaft, and means for Winding the spring comprising a winding shaft, and gearing connecting the same to the arbor, said arbor being formed of two metal stamp 10 ings secured together and secured to a gear of said gearing at the periphery of the stampin 's and alongside said spring, and bearing anges at the middle portions of said stampings. V y

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my 15 signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH A. VILLIAMS, \Vitnesses:

' E. B. GILoHRIs'r,

A. F. KWIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. 0. 

